Proud, Pureblood Slytherin
by PrismaticCollaborations
Summary: He was a Pureblood...a proud, pureblood Slytherin, and I was a Muggleborn...to him, a filthy Mudblood Gryffindor. That doesn't mean we never loved each other.


He doesn't tease me much anymore...and I know why.

It's no secret between us that we like each other, and that's the problem.

Draco Malfoy is a jerk.

But I don't really mean that. He just cares way too much what everyone will think of him. A pureblood and a muggleborn...no, our romance could never bloom into anything more. His parents would murder him on the spot, and probably me too. It's not that I wouldn't be willing to take that risk with him, just that he's not willing to take it with me. I would have thought love would be more valuable than anything else in the world, but apparently, purebloods see things differently.

And that's the worst part of it.

He can swallow his love for me, suck it up and go out with that pig Pansy Parkinson. Without even giving me a second glance, he can sit by her and make her laugh that annoying laugh of hers. They probably even sneak away for snogging sessions whenever they can get away with it.

I'm not jealous, he can't make me jealous sitting with his head in her lap all the way to Hogwarts...especially when it should be my hands brushing through his platinum blonde hair instead of Parkinson's...no way am I jealous of that girl.

Except that she's a pureblood and I'm not even half-blood. If I was a halfblood, maybe he would see me differently, but according to his last insult, I'm still a "filthy mudblood", even if he only taunts me when his cronies are around to make sure they don't find out about his crush on me.

He's such an awfully mean boy, but I can't help but remember just one time whenever I want to give up on him ever remotely humbling himself.

Harry, Ron and I were in the library one day, studying furiously...well, I was. Ron was moaning about how he hated homework, and Harry was doodling Ginny's initials all over his paper. It was sixth year, and Harry was absolutely obsessed with Ginny Weasley, though Ron didn't yet know.

I had tried everything in my power to get Harry and Ron to study for this essay in potions, but they refused to listen, so eventually, I laid down my quill and said, "Fine, I'll write them just this once if you'll promise to do it yourselves next time."

Ron jumps up immediately and exclaims, "I love you, Hermione!"

And with that, he leaves.

...

..._Alright, then_...

...Well, what did you expect me to think? One of my best friends just said...oh, never mind, he probably did not mean it the way I thought he did.

Harry stands more calmly and puts his "notes" back in his bag, thanking me quickly before going off to plan Quidditch tryouts.

Then I'm alone, and I am so ready for a time of peaceful studying when I hear someone sigh. He sounds so sad and lonely, I can't help but turn and see none other than Draco Malfoy, sitting a few desks away, watching me as if I'm suddenly worth looking at.

"Malfoy?" I say. I don't know why I spoke to him, except, perhaps, that I found him slightly attractive.

His eyes flicker something too quickly for me to register it, and then he lowers them again. He's not reading or writing, so I have no idea why he's here...until he stand and walks to where I am.

I think he is going to walk past until he takes Harry's abandoned seat by my side and looks me in the eye. He has such beautiful blue eyes.

"Hermione," well, he's never called me by my name before..., "I don't want to hurt you. I only ever insult you because..."

And now he almost looks ashamed. Draco Malfoy, proud, pureblood Slytherin, looks ashamed.

"Because I'm a pureblood and you're a mudbl-er-Muggleborn. My parents would kill me if they found out, but I like you."

Another of those moments like what happened with Ron just a couple minutes ago. What am I supposed to say to that?

I lose control of my mouth suddenly, and before I know it, I'm speaking to him...to Malfoy, as if he was really a lover, "Draco..." where did that come from? "I...I like you too, fine. And if the only thing holding you back is what people will think of us, forget them, ignore them...what ever, just as long as it's fine with you, who cares if it's fine with them?"

He looks uncertain for a moment, then he leans in slightly, and so do I.

There we are, Muggleborn Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, kissing Pureblood Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, right in the middle of the library.

And it is amazing. For once, I feel as if some boy really does love me...even if he had used the term "like".

Then he pulls away, looking pained, and says, "I can't. We can never be together. If you were a halfblood, I could convince my parents...but they would never accept you as you are. They would kill us both. It's better if we just find our own soulmates and...just forget this ever happened."

_Soulmates_...

He's gone before I can reply.

Forget what happened? I never could, no matter how hard I tried.

Purebloods and muggleborns just couldn't be together these days...Harry's parents could because they were both Gryffindors, but a Slytherin and a Gryffindor?

I tried to let go a million times, but I'd never forget the boy I should have been with.

I date around for a few years before marrying Ron and settling down to have two children, Rose and Hugo. Apparently he really did love me, and eventually I fell for him too, but I never forgot that day in the library with Draco.

Rose has been at Hogwarts for five years now and, despite the fact that she refuses to talk about it, I know she is in love with Draco's son, Scorpius. Maybe he returns her feelings, who knows.

All I know is that this is the way it's supposed to be. Perhaps the reason Draco and I could never be together was because we had to go our separate ways to allow Rose and Scorpius a romance...though, I'm wondering how Ron will react when he finds out that Rosie has disobeyed his explicit warning not to fall in love with Scorpius Malfoy.

At least Rose is a halfblood, instead of Muggleborn. I know Draco won't forbid her to be with Scorpius...I know that he knows what I know right now: they're the version of us that works.


End file.
